With less available
water outdoors, rodents are using structural vulnerabilities and
accessible lawn foliage to gain access inside California homes
that provide the necessary water sources, CBS 13 in
Sacramento
reported.

“It’s a very busy time especially with the drought
situation,” Kevin Carpenter of Good Earth Pest Control told
CBS 13 of rodent breeding season.

Seeking at least an ounce of water a day, rodents target cracks
or openings only as large as the width of a human thumb.

Carpenter said low-hanging trees that allow rodents to reach
roofs are also a point of accessibility.

“Those rodents will climb right up. They’re excellent
climbers and they will climb right up the trees and drop down on
the roof,” he said.

Outside of sealing foundation openings, homeowners can prevent
rodent infestation by eliminating nearby outdoor sources of
water, such as pet water bowls, he added.

State wildlife officials said avoiding rodent poison will also
help birds like owls and hawks maintain a healthy diet of rats
and mice.

“These wildlife are right around us and you might not notice
them but they’re actually there. And they’re helping control
rodent populations and as long as you’re able to protect them,
they will do that for you,” Stella McMillan told CBS 13.

In the San Francisco area, there have been reports of more rats
out in public than usual, as the area's water shortage has drawn
them in search of nourishment.

"There's no water source for them right now so they're going
outside to get it," Tina O'Keefe, of Dirty Rats Rodent
Removal, told the Bay Area’s NBC affiliate. "They eat plants.
They eat meat. They're going to the dog park because there are
water bowls. They're going to horse stables because there's
water."

Areas like Heron Head Park, just south of San Francisco, have
attracted major infestations thanks to abnormal weather patterns.

"This has not happened before," Renee Dunn Martin, a
spokeswoman for the Port of San Francisco, told the San Francisco
Chronicle. Heron Head Park is owned by the port system.

"It’s an open space, and a natural habitat for a lot of
creatures, but regarding the rats, we are definitely on top of
that issue and doing our best to address it,” Dunn Martin
added.